Paved Paradise

Parking lot at the South Bay Galleria

It has been a long time since I last shared an "urban blight" image with you. What type of structure is as great an eyesore as a parking lot? ;-)

"Big Yellow Taxi" by Joni Mitchell

Enjoy!!!

Prickly

The Desert Garden at the Huntington, with more than 5000 species of desert flora in 10 acres

Here are a couple more photos from my trip to the Huntington.

I'm not big on desert flora. Having a slight case of trypanophobia, I try to stay well away from needles and other such spiky, piercing objects. The shapes and colors of these desert plants are certainly interesting, well worth viewing, but it's a tense experience for me. Nevertheless, I'm happy that I overcame the phobia long enough to appreciate a part of the garden that I rarely visit.

And the desert flora is easy to compose into interesting photos.

More cacti and diverse succulents

As long as there are nice and wide garden paths, these weird prickly plants make for good viewing, but you will not find me scampering among their piercing presence in a wild terrain any time soon. The lily ponds and camellias were welcome sights afterwards. ;-)

Friday Flowers: Among the Winter Roses

Rose: Honor

Sonnet 73


That time of year thou mayst in me behold 
When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang 
Upon those boughs which shake against the cold, 
Bare ruin’d choirs, where late the sweet birds sang. 
In me thou seest the twilight of such day 
As after sunset fadeth in the west, 
Which by and by black night doth take away, 
Death’s second self, that seals up all in rest. 
In me thou see’st the glowing of such fire 
That on the ashes of his youth doth lie, 
As the death-bed whereon it must expire 
Consumed with that which it was nourish’d by. 
   This thou perceivest, which makes thy love more strong, 
   To love that well which thou must leave ere long. 

---William Shakespeare

Rose: Olympiad

It's always a good time to feature a poem by Shakespeare, but, during this drab period in which so few flowers are in bloom, stunted by the unusually frigid weather, it seems especially appropriate. Though the blossoms are scarcely to be found, these elegant words bring color to the gardens of our minds.

Well, the icy days may be behind us now. Today was nice and warm, inspiring me to head outside and bask in the sunlight. Perhaps the flowers will be soon to follow. ;-)

Opportunites Presented by the Calendar

 Perpetual Calendar by Hemisferium (front)

If one is going to undertake a project, then it ought to be worthy of one's best effort. This is especially true for “labors of love” which give no material rewards, providing satisfaction only in having done it well. This is the situation that I find myself facing with this blog. I'm writing here merely because I want to share my thoughts and inspirations with the readers, but haven't been doing it as well as I would like. Therefore, it's time to rededicate myself, to return to a regular rate of blogging, to entertain and inform as best as my time and talent will allow.

With the flip of the calendar, I am presented with a new starting point, an opportunity to get back on track. I'm going to be putting back my old features to establish a reliable rhythm of blogging, from Silly Saturday to Friday Flowers, from Weekly Wraps to Monthly Dance Parties. Moreover, my 365 Photo project will formalize the previously haphazard “Image of the Day” posts upon which I have been heavily relying over the past few months.

At least, this is my intent. This is my resolution. I love writing, playing with words, conveying my experiences through prose and verse, even if they frequently drift to the shade of purple. So, I am again committed, dedicated anew to blogging, compelled to do it properly.

 Perpetual Calendar by Hemisferium (back)

And, hopefully, these words are worthy of you, my darling readers. ;-)

Friday Flowers: Pink Jade

Fuchsia: Pink Jade


I've been thinking about putting up a "Weekly" Wrap post, but it's probably best to let that tradition fall away. I originally started those posts to create an index, recording the general topics that were discussed over the course of the week. However, that was back when I was averaging nearly two posts per day.

Now, I'm lucky to reach one post per two days. Moreover, my current blogging style leans towards quickie posts. I rarely do the long essay format anymore. Not only do I not have the time, but those types of posts were rarely crowd favorites.

Oh well, at least we still have Friday Flowers. ;-)

Fuchsia: Pink Jade at the South Coast Botanic Garden

And some music. . .

Might Get Some Sleep Tonight

Dancing Acid Bears


I was never a Deadhead, but I have many friends who were. Yeah, it was in the late '80s and early '90s. That's a latecomer status by Dead standards, but it's still when Jerry Garcia was around. I got to hear the "real thing" live.

Although the Grateful Dead didn't play in my favorite style, I'd have to be an idiot to not appreciate their artistry and originality. There's no doubt that their influence on the psychedelic sound and folk rock was profound. And the atmosphere of their concerts and fandom was unlike anything else, so welcoming and easy-going, yet so passionate and tightly communal.

Since today marks Jerry Garcia's birth date, in 1942, I figured that we could chill out to some classic Dead tunes. Keeping up the good vibes. ;-)

Skull and Roses (1971)

And since the clocks are running late. . .

Baking Up Bright Ideas

Detail of Nota Prop (2010) by Arthur Henderson

Well, I haven't much time to write up something clever tonight. So, instead, here's an image that I saw at the Oh Nancy "Blank Land" show, which was on exhibit at the Torrance Art Museum. It was only a two day event, closing last Tuesday.

Overall, the show was really engaging, full of interesting pieces. But I was charmed by this piece, which reminds me of a supersized Easy-Bake Oven. ;-)

So, let's have a restful Sunday evening and listen to some music.

Friday Flowers: Jacaranda

Purple Jacaranda

Things are still going erratic here at the Casa de Paideia. ;-)

So, rather than skipping this week's Friday Flowers post, I figured we'd skip out on the poetry. Yeah, it's a bummer, but better than missing another week of botanical beauties. And their my favorite colors too!!!

If you're a native of SoCal, then you're probably already tired of these purple pretties. But not me!!! The darlin' jackies lift my heart whenever I see them.

Blue Jacaranda

"Te quiero por tus ojos de jacaranda en flor."

Village Lanterne

Blues skies over Bergamot Station in Santa Monica, as I exit CoproGallery

I went all around town today. It was busy, but I had a good time. From Santa Monica to the South Bay, there is a lot of art on display to enjoy.

I'm a bit tired right now. So, here are a few photos. ;-)

Detail of Unknown Planets (2008) by Atsushi Fukui, on view at the Richard Heller Gallery

Visiting the Torrance Art Museum's Opening Night for "Between the Knowing"

Dance Party: March

Cover image from Vanessa Williams' "Save the Best for Last" (1992)

It's time for our monthly celebration!

This time around is a whiplash of styles, but I love them all, for different reasons both aesthetically and personally. Whether you want to be "There beneath the blue suburban skies" or "Feel the sun on your face and tell me what you're thinking" or feel that the "Night is young and the music's high. With a bit of rock music, everything is fine", there's something for all types tonight. ;-)

And we love variety!

Image from Neil Young's "Heart of Gold" concert film (2006)

So let's listen to some music!

Wandering Through a Field

Dandelion in a field

I don't have much to post right now, but I figured we could listen to some music.

Throughout the day, I take random photographs of anything that catches my attention. Yesterday, I saw this white dandelion all by itself at the edge of a local field. (Yes, the Los Angeles area isn't totally paved over or loaded with McMansions.)

So, our theme for today is dandelions!

Beauties in Bronze and Stone

Benediction (1922) by Daniel Chester French


My previous post about Barbara Hepworth got me thinking about beautiful sculpture and the ability to capture a mood and personality within the material, expressed through texture and form. And since I recently visited the Huntington Museum, I went looking for a few images that caught my eye.

You might remember that I have a love/disdain relationship with neoclassical, emulationist sculpture. However, I totally confess to finding the works of Daniel Chester French and Chauncey Bradley Ives very beautiful. Yeah, the mental stimulation of Hepworth's abstract work keeps me excited and engaged, but sometimes superficial "pretties" will do the job just fine. ;-)

And who can resist this lovely Pandora?

Pandora (1858) by Chauncey Bradley Ives

So very lovely. . .

Harvest Moon over the Southland

Harvest Moon seen around 8:20 pm from Torrance, CA.


The full moon was beautiful tonight.

Yeah, the light pollution in Los Angeles is something fierce, but even the ambient glow of the city couldn't diminish the lunar lustre tonight. Sadly, my photographic skills are not up to sufficient quality to capture it. This photo was the best that I could do.

Oh, well. . . at least we can enjoy some music to celebrate the Harvest Moon. ;-)

Can't Trust That Day

Forty-five years ago, "Monday, Monday" by the Mamas & the Papas reached the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100. It was their only number one hit, although a few other songs got significant radio play. They were somewhat before my time, but I'm aware to their legacy on the "pop-ification" of the Folk sound. Moreover, their sound is evocative of their era.

I'm not really big on this style of music, but it's interesting to give it a hearing every so often. The vocal harmonics are very attractive. The song structures are engaging. It's pretty good stuff.

Here's a vid:

BTW, as a native Californian, I prefer this is the song a prefer. ;-)

Here's a link to the Mamas & the Papas Wikipedia page.

Enjoy!!!